Mobile communication devices like mobile phones typically include a battery pack that has to be recharged from time to time in order to allow a reliable wireless function of the device which is independent from an external current supply. Modern battery packs include an accumulator that includes for example Li-Ions that can be recharged by connecting an external accessory device in the form of a battery charger to the communication device. The battery charger supplies a current to the communication device which recharges the accumulator of the battery pack.
Although the producers of mobile phones usually also produce and offer batteries and charging devices that can be used with the mobile phones, third party manufactures also offer such products in order to participate in the ongoing success of the communication device manufactures. These third party products are typically represented to be 100% compatible with the original products but may be sold at a considerably lower price.
Both technical and business reasons can motivate manufacturers of the original product to limit the sale of these third party accessory products. It is known that third party battery packs have in some instances damaged mobile communication devices because they produced an overvoltage that caused a short-circuit within the electronic parts of the communication device.
For these reasons, manufactures of mobile communication devices tried to find solutions for convincing customers to buy the original or certified products. Regarding the above-mentioned example of battery packs and charging devices for mobile phones, so-called Smart Battery Systems are known which allow identifying the battery pack by using a simple resistor network which is analyzed by identification means provided in the electronic part of the mobile phone.
A possible drawback of using Smart Battery Packs is that a customer is usually not able to realize the difference between an original or certified product and a non-certified product. Because battery packs may appear to be similar from the outside, the customer may not be able to identify the difference between the products and may choose the cheaper third party product and only afterwards realize that this product will not work in a satisfactory manner with his mobile phone.
This problem of third party accessories for mobile phones is not limited to battery packs and chargers. Today, many accessory devices are available that can be connected or linked to mobile phones and other mobile communication devices in order to supplement the applications of functionalities offered by the communication device. Again, third party manufacturers produce and offer such third party accessory products which should be prevent or restricted for business and technical reasons.